Insole or shoe sole

Abstract

Insole or shoe sole, which has a sensor device ( 10 ) having a plurality of sensor fields ( 1 - 9 ) for pressure detection and an electronic unit ( 15 ) that is electrically connected to the sensor fields ( 1 - 9 ) and has electronic components ( 17 ), wherein the sensor device ( 10 ) is formed in the manner of a sandwich with a middle layer ( 12 ) made of a piezoresistive material, a top layer ( 13 ) arranged above the middle layer ( 12 ) and a bottom layer ( 11 ) arranged underneath the middle layer ( 12 ). The top and bottom layer ( 13, 11 ) each include an electrically conductive material ( 14 ) in the region ( 1 a - 9 a; 1 b - 9 b ) of a respective sensor field ( 1 - 9 ). The top and bottom layer ( 13, 11 ) each have a protruding flexible tab ( 23, 22 ) having conductor tracks ( 24 - 26 ) for electrically connecting the sensor fields ( 1 - 9 ) to the electronic unit ( 15 ). The electronic unit ( 15 ) has contact regions ( 29 ), against which the tabs ( 23, 22 ) bear by way of their conductor tracks ( 24 - 26 ).

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An insole or shoe sole, comprising a sensor device having a plurality of sensor fields for pressure detection, an electronic unit that is electrically connected to the sensor fields and has electronic components, the sensor device formed with a sandwich construction including a middle layer made of a piezoresistive material, a top layer arranged above the middle layer and a bottom layer arranged underneath the middle layer, the top and bottom layers each comprising an electrically conductive material forming discrete electrically conductive sections in regions of the sensor fields, wherein between the electrically conductive sections of the top layer as well as between the electrically conductive sections of the bottom layer there are electrically isolating sections, and the top layer having a first protruding tab and the bottom layer having a second protruding tab which is separate from the first protruding tab, the each of the first and second protruding tabs protruding from a margin of the top or bottom layer, respectively, the first protruding tab having conductor tracks connected to the electrically conductive sections of the top layer and the second protruding tab having conductor tracks connected to the electrically conductive sections of the bottom layer, the electronic unit having contact regions which are formed by metalized regions of a printed circuit board of the electronic unit, wherein the first and second protruding tabs are pressed against the contact regions, and wherein the conductor tracks of the tabs contact said contact regions. 
     
     
       2. The insole or shoe sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the contact regions for the conductor tracks of the tab of the bottom layer are arranged on a top side of the electronic unit and the contact regions for the conductor tracks of the tab of the top layer are arranged on a bottom side of the electronic unit. 
     
     
       3. The insole or shoe sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the printed circuit board is populated with the electronic components. 
     
     
       4. The insole or shoe sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the conductor tracks on the tabs are pressed onto the contact regions of the electronic unit by clamping elements. 
     
     
       5. The insole or shoe sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the electronic unit includes a positioning pin, and a respective one of the tabs has at least one hole, through which the positioning pin protrudes in a state in which the electronic unit is connected. 
     
     
       6. The insole or shoe sole according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a stabilizing layer or a shock-absorbing layer arranged between the sensor device and the electronic unit. 
     
     
       7. The insole or shoe sole according to  claim 6 , wherein in the state in which the electronic unit is connected, the tabs extend through a window opening in the at least one of the stabilizing layer or the shock-absorbing layer. 
     
     
       8. The insole or shoe sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the top layer and the bottom layer each comprise a flexible base material and the tab of the top layer is formed in an integral manner with the base material of the top layer and the tab of the bottom layer is formed in an integral manner with the base material of the bottom layer. 
     
     
       9. The insole or shoe sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive material of the top layer and the bottom layer in the region of a respective one of the sensor fields, is formed by an electrically conductive yarn that is embroidered with a base material of the top layer and the bottom layer. 
     
     
       10. The insole or shoe sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the conductor tracks of the tabs are formed by an electrically conductive yarn, with which a base material of the respective tab is embroidered. 
     
     
       11. The insole or shoe sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the top layer and the bottom layer each comprise a base layer which is electrically isolating and an electrically contacting material which extends over several distinct regions and forming the discrete and electrically conductive sections, each of which form a sensor for pressure detection in said several distinct regions.